Valdosta To Move Wastewater Plant

Valdosta, GA - The City of Valdosta can now move forward with the relocation of the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant with the help of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority or GEFA. The City received a $36.7 million Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan last week to fund the project.

Mayor John Gayle says, "GEFA loans money to cities at low interest rates if the cities qualify for these loans. Valdosta qualifies, has been a very good customer of GEFA over the years and we've used them quite a bit to finance projects that we needed to do and then we've used SPLOST funds to repay those loans."

Not only is the City of Valdosta relocating the plant, they also have to build about 300 miles worth of collection pipes that will feed into the new facility.

"So $37 million of this project is to build new pipes to support the location of the new plant and begin construction of the new plant. So we will actually will be spending about $55 million dollars over the next 4 years on the combination of the new collection system and the new plant", says Valdosta City Manager, Larry Hanson.

Gayle says the EPA gave the city five years to complete the project, but they hope to have it done in four. The construction is expected to begin next spring.

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